A View of the Port and Entrance of the City and Isle of Malta

Location

Country: Malta
City: Valletta
Place: British High Commission

Joseph Goupy was born in London and was a pupil of his uncle, French painter Louis Goupy. Another uncle was fan painter Charles Goupy. In 1711 he attended Kneller’s Academy in Great Queen Street. He developed a successful practice, painting reduced copies of Old Master works and copies of Raphael’s cartoons for clients including Frederick, Prince of Wales. In 1726 he restored Mantegna’s ‘Triumph of Caesar’ (Royal Collection). He taught draughtsmanship to pupils, including Augusta, Princess of Wales. From 1724 he published prints and designed scenery for the Kings Theatre with Tillemans. He was appointed Cabinet Painter to the Prince of Wales in 1736, but retired after the Prince’s death. He became a fellow of the Society of Artists in 1765.
Antoine Benoist was born to a family of artists in Picardy, France. In his teens he was brought to England by engraver and publisher Claude Du Bosc, to work on plates for ‘A Military History of the Duke of Marlborough’ (1736). In June 1741 he revisited Paris for less than a year. After returning, he was employed by the Bowles brothers to engrave Hayman’s designs for Vauxhall Gardens. He remained in London until March 1744, when France declared war on Britain. Following the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle he again returned to produce topographical, architectural and portrait prints and plates. He was also a drawing master and, in 1763, was living in St Martin’s Lane with a fellow drawing master and dealer named Beauvais. He died unmarried in 1770.

Places

Malta

Subjects

topography, seascape/coastal scene, townscape/cityscape, sea, port, house, citadel, ship

Materials & Techniques

engraving, coloured engraving

Artist

Joseph Goupy (c.1680 - 1763)
Antoine Benoist (1721 - 1770)

Title

A View of the Port and Entrance of the City and Isle of Malta

Date

Medium

Coloured engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, November 1956

GAC number

3626